Patriots' Jahlani Tavai seems to double down on spicy comments about fans

Shortly after New England Patriots linebacker, Jahlani Tavai said during a radio interview that fans who booed the 3-13 team last weekend sometimes "have to know their place and just understand that it’s a work in progress," first-year Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo revealed that he spoke with Tavai. Mayo also said he understood that fans "pay the bills."

Tavai had an opportunity to retract his original comments when he spoke with reporters on Friday afternoon, but he took a different approach instead.

"It’s just frustration," Tavai said, Chris Mason and Mark Daniels of MassLive shared. "It’s not the outcome that we wanted. It’s not the production that we wanted to put out there. I’m always going to defend my guys. That’s who I am and that’s who I’m always going to be for however many years the man above blesses me with. I’m always going to defend my peoples and that’s what it is." 

Fans booed and chanted for Patriots owner Robert Kraft to "fire Mayo" as the team fell to 3-13 via last Saturday's 40-7 home blowout loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Tavai said on Friday afternoon he knows paying customers are "frustrated" with the current state of the franchise, but he also asked fans to "be supportive" through this Sunday's home game against the 13-3 Buffalo Bills. 

"I’m not going to your job and telling you how you’re doing your job," Tavai continued. "I’m not that type of person. If you’re being a true fan — that’s why I’m saying support. We need the support that you all been giving us since day one. I’m not trying to tell anybody to change up what they want to do. That’s not what I’m trying to get out. I’m trying to say, I’m going to defend my guys — whether that’s a player, whether that’s a coach or someone who’s out here busting their butt. That’s who I am." 

Tavai's teammates may appreciate all he said on Friday, but history shows that players rarely — if ever — win feuds with home fans. New York Yankees captains Derek Jeter and Aaron Judge are among noteworthy athletes who reacted much differently than Tavai and mentioned they "deserved" to get booed in certain instances because "that’s what happens when you don’t come through." 

While Tavai insisted on Friday he wasn’t trying to offend anyone, he remained at least a little defiant regarding any reactions he sparked ahead of this weekend. 

"I’m sure if somebody who is listening right now — if somebody came into their house and did the same thing and talked about their family and people they worked with, they’ll act some type of way too. That’s it," Tavai added. "So if that clears up a lot of stuff, and if people still don’t like it, then whatever. It is what it is." 

A different regime guided the Patriots to six Super Bowl titles during the franchise's dynastic run. However, New England fans haven't had much to cheer about since Bill Belichick let quarterback Tom Brady leave the organization as a free agent in March 2020. The Patriots seemingly aren't all that close, on paper, to righting the ship, so Tavai and others in the locker room may want to think twice about fighting battles they can't win.